South Western Sydney PHN is a not-for-profit health organisation dedicated to supporting general practitioners, practice nurses and other primary health providers.
Build on your practical cultural awareness and safety skills with the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Toolkit for General Practice. Developed by the Priority Populations team at SWSPHN, the toolkit consolidates all of the information a practice needs to support practices in their efforts to provide a culturally safe environment for current (including not yet identified) and future patients.
What you will find in the toolkit:
government initiatives and programs available, including practice incentive payments, CTG and PBS co-payments
MBS 715 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples health assessment
how to support patients with chronic conditions using the Integrated Team Care program (ITC), also referred to as Aboriginal Chronic Care Program
training opportunities
actions to implement a culturally safe practice
supporting First Nations patients with self-identification
easy-to-follow checklists for medical receptionists, practice managers, practice nurses and GPs to follow
Download the toolkit and follow the steps appropriate to your role within the practice. We recommend setting up a working group within your practice to review and delegate actions within this guide.
29 July 2024
Pampering and health screening went hand in hand when Support The Girls visited Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Centre (AMS) in Airds last week.
A free bra and fitting were gifted to any woman who attended on the day for a lifesaving mammogram at the mobile BreastScreen NSW van.
Participants also received a bra washing bag, undies and Dove soap.
Three care packs which contained toiletries were raffled during the day.
Tharawal nurse Joanne Ross said the day was a great success with record numbers of local Aboriginal women turning up for the event.
“By halfway through the day we were at 100 and counting,” she said. “We more than doubled previous breast screening numbers and at least 175 bras were given out.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our staff and volunteers who helped out with the setting up and packing away, as well as a huge thank you to Jane Holmes from Support The Girls for kindly lifting up all the ladies. We look forward to your return visit to Tharawal.”
Ms Ross said the event was a great way to encourage local Aboriginal women to get a potentially life-saving mammogram.
“The purpose of these collaborations is to provide a safe space in which women can come along and feel respected and treated with dignity,” she said.
“This is not only saving lives, but for many we know they have never been given the luxury of a bra fitting and some would definitely not be able to afford a bra. We want to encourage other organisations to follow the example of Tharawal.”
Support The Girls works with experienced service providers across NSW and Queensland who identify and send a support team out to women and girls in need.
They create and cultivate safe, positive and supportive spaces at community halls, service provider locations, domestic violence shelters and offices.
A spokeswoman said: “We believe in the power of collaboration to drive positive change. That’s why Support The Girls and BreastScreen NSW have joined forces to operate events focused on bra fitting and early breast cancer detection and prevention.
“Our partnership has a significant impact on boosting mammogram participation rates of both Indigenous women and women in rural communities.
“Together, we’re empowering women to embrace their strengths and prioritise their health. Our joint efforts ensure that more women have access to potentially life-saving mammogram screenings.”
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation will host a webinar on Wednesday, 14 August from 2pm to 3pm for staff from Aboriginal community health services (ACCHO and AMS) about cervical screening self-collection for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Others who work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients can also attend.
The self-collection method and discussing screening in a culturally sensitive manner, can help overcome certain barriers to cervical screening participation which are experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix.
Webinar presenters include executive director at the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer Professor Marion Saville, and ACCHO sector representatives who will discuss how self-collection is being implemented in their community.
RACGP and ACRRM CPD points will be available for this training. A link to the webinar recording will be sent following the training date to those who register.
Training will be delivered in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer.
The RACGP is hosting Our Woven Ways: Supporting goal setting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents on Thursday, 25 July, from 7pm to 8.30pm.
GPs and other primary healthcare professionals who work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are invited to attend.
The webinar is part of a series which discuss the practice skills required to effectively work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents to explore and respond to their concerns about their children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
More general practice resources, including accredited eLearning courses and webinar recordings, can be found at this GP toolkit.
27 May 2024
Victim-survivors shared stories of their recovery journeys and what gives them hope, at this month’s official launch of the Supporting Recovery from Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Program at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Liverpool.
Delivered by CatholicCare Sydney and Anglicare Sydney, the Supporting Recovery program addresses the critical need for comprehensive support services for victim-survivors of family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV) in our region.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has funded South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) and five other PHNs, to deliver the $67 million Supporting Recovery pilot program.
The program aims to address the current FDSV mental health recovery service gaps by offering long-term recovery support which complements existing short-term and crisis support programs.
SWSPHN Director of Planning and Performance, Amy Prince speaking at the Supporting Recovery launch.
SWSPHN Director of Planning and Performance, Amy Prince, spoke during the event about the urgency and importance of the program for our region.
“In South Western Sydney last year, unfortunately, there were around 5,200 domestic violence-related assault offences. The areas of Campbelltown, Liverpool and Fairfield have the highest representation, but we know many more cases go unreported,” she said.
“Last year, SWSPHN had the opportunity to apply for grant funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver the Supporting Recovery program. We were one of just six PHNs selected, and we are so grateful to be able to bring this service into South Western Sydney, as we know it’s very much needed here.
“I’m really proud to be part of an organisation that’s been able to fund this service, and I really look forward to seeing the program achieve positive outcomes for victim-survivors in our region.”.
The Supporting Recovery program is designed to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care for victim-survivors of FDSV.
Panel discussion at the Supporting Recovery launch
One of the panellists emphasised the significant positive impact of programs like the Supporting Recovery program.
“I’m living in recovery from complex PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from generational trauma, so I believe passionately that domestic violence services like this one are vital for the safety and healing of those of us trying to live and heal from domestic and sexual violence,” the panellist told the crowd.
“I have hope because I get to talk to people about these things. When I was growing up, we didn’t have the words for it.”
Attendees also heard from a First Nations person and survivor advocate about providing cultural safety and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander FDSV victim-survivors.
“You need to remember it takes a lot for Aboriginal people to be able to trust other services and people because of their past history. It’s about active listening, so use your approach as a yarning rather than talking across or to someone,” the crowd was told.
“It’s about having that understanding about us, making us feel safe so we can open up to you because we will very rarely ask for help from anyone unless it’s really necessary.”
Werriwa MP Anne Stanley at the Supporting Recovery launch
Werriwa MP Anne Stanley was also in attendance at the launch event on behalf of Emma McBride, the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
“This pilot comes at a time when family and domestic violence is reaching a boiling point in our society, and it’s about time it has come to the national spotlight,” she said.
If you are currently experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence and need crisis support, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 000.
11 April 2024
SWSPHN, Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and Yarpa Hub came together with Elders and community members to recognise and raise awareness of end-of-life planning during Advance Care Planning Week.
Patsy Bingham, an End of Life Doula, was at the Advance Care Yarning Session to talk about the importance of having an advance care plan and letting your mob know your healthcare and end-of-life wishes before it’s too late.
The Advance Care Yarning Session helped to relieve the stigma around talking about end-of-life planning. It also allowed Elders and community members to come together, ask questions, and have a yarn about advance care planning in a safe and culturally informative space.
Advance care planning helps ensure your mob knows what care decisions to make when you are no longer able to communicate these yourself.
Caption: SWSPHN’s Integration & Priority Populations Coordinator Ivan Broome with Gandangara LALC staff at the Advance Care Yarning Session.
End-of-life planning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
When you let your mob know of your healthcare and end-of-life wishes in advance, you relieve them of the burden of making these difficult decisions without knowing exactly what you would want. For instance, what healthcare you would agree to receive? Do you want to be taken back to country when you pass?
The resources here help relieve the stigma around talking about end-of-life, from advance care planning to palliative care. These resources are for people who live in Gandangara and Tharawal country.
Resources on this page include:
Yarning Our Wishes
Advance Care Planning guide
A Journey into Sorry Business
Palliative care support information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in South Western Sydney
Advance care yarning
This booklet provides scenarios where having an advance care plan in place is beneficial, and how to setup an advance care plan.
Discussion Starter
Use this booklet, developed by Palliative Care Australia and Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, to document what is important to you.
05 March 2024
Patients at Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service now have a clearer picture of how healthy their liver is.
Clinical Nurse Consultant, Irena, from South Western Sydney Local Health District’s Hepatology Service visited the Airds centre on Thursday, 29 February and performed 29 liver fibroscans.
The fibroscan sends a pulse through the liver, a bit like an ultrasound, to measure the stiffness of the liver.
This involves putting a probe between the ribs on the right-hand side of the chest and pushing a button which delivers a vibration into the liver.
Stiffness in the liver indicates scarring.
The higher the score, the more likely the liver has fibrosis or cirrhosis.
5 to 7.4 suggests minimal fibrosis
7.5 to 9.4 suggests moderate fibrosis
9.5 or higher suggests severe fibrosis or cirrhosis
Yearly fibroscans are recommended for patients with abnormal liver function tests.
CAPTION: Irena performs the quick and painless fibroscan on patient Margaret.
24 January 2024
The Go4Fun healthy lifestyle program for families and children aged seven to 13 is returning with sessions across South Western Sydney in Term 1, from Monday, 29 January 2024.
Go4Fun is a free program for children aged seven to 13 who are above a healthy weight, and their families. Trained health and community professionals like dietitians and exercise physiologists run the program which is a fun way to build self-esteem and learn about eating well, staying active and living a healthy life.
Go4Fun takes place during school terms, usually after school. Sessions run once a week for two hours, during a 10-week period. A parent or carer must come to every session.
Aboriginal Go4Fun was developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities and is delivered by local Aboriginal organisations together with NSW Health. The program encourages the whole community to join in.
A six-month cancer screening incentive scheme in South Western Sydney has wound up, with a final progress report highlighting positive responses from the community and several success stories.
SWSPHN partnered with Gandangara Health Services (GHS) in March to promote cancer awareness and screenings among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The incentive scheme contributed to detecting potential cancers among community members, and other concerns including hepatitis C.
Giftcards were offered as an incentive to encourage engagement and participation in screenings for breast cancer, cervical cancer, bowel cancer and hepatitis C, and skin checks and vaccinations.
One female who attended the breast screening morning tea was recalled for further testing. With the encouragement of clinic staff, she went to a follow-up appointment and was booked in for emergency surgery.
The woman said she was grateful to the team for inviting her to the screening and taking swift and decisive follow-up action.
A male attended a skin clinic and during his screening had several growths removed. The gentleman held a common misconception people with darker skin didn’t have to worry about skin cancer. He was surprised he had suspicious skin growths and was thankful they were detected early. The man said if he hadn’t come to the accompanying barbecue and booked into the skin check clinic, he would never have gotten checked.
GHS used community engagement and regular gathering opportunities to promote the cancer screening incentive scheme and encourage attendance.
A community gathering in August had a cancer awareness theme, breast screening coincided with an educational Yarning Circle, cervical self-test screening was held in conjunction with an education pamper day and community gathering, and barbecues were great opportunities for skin checks.
16 November 2023
SWSPHN staff attended the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council Caring for Elders Expo 2023 at the Liverpool Catholic Club this week. The expo was a special gathering focused on celebrating and supporting our Elders, who hold immense wisdom and cultural significance in our community.
SWSPHN Integration and Priority Populations Coordinator Ivan Broome and Workforce Engagement Officer Marina Hagarty attended the event to highlight the aged care services available in our region. They also represented SWSPHN as proud sponsors of this meaningful event.
The Elders Expo centred around the theme ‘Strong Mind – Strong Body – Strong Spirit’ and offered various resources for health wellness and cultural healing opportunities.
